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The Camper Special Was A Long-Bed’s Best Friend
Before the days of pickup truck dominance and Sprinter-style vans getting decked out into overlanding vehicles, the Camper Special was a familiar staple of the automotive industry. The trend started around 1945, when Cree Coaches, Inc. unveiled a truck-bed camper that lit a fire under the camping industry. Not only did it forever change what we could do with a truck, it also forced automakers in Detroit to stand up and take notice.
Thanks to the camper, outdoor enthusiasts could use the truck as a foundation for a living space instead of merely towing the traditional free-standing trailer. With less structure, no additional axles, and a footprint constricted by the dimensions of a truck bed, the camper should be cheaper to buy, easier to make than a traditional trailer, and more attainable for more adventure-seeking folk.
In the era of mid-century homes with significantly smaller footprints than modern McMansions, it was entirely possible to dock a camper by the side of your house, with nothing more than the extension of four legs lifting it off a well-manicured lawn. When the time came to enjoy the great outdoors, the truck backed underneath the lifted camper, and it was subsequently lowered into the bed.
The ability to own a camping apparatus while still living in the suburbs must have been a significant draw to Americans at the time, as the burgeoning recreational vehicle market came into its own by the mid-1960s.
Detroit automakers configured trucks specifically for this task, initially limited to spring capacities matched to the demands of a third-party camper installation. But once the market came to fruition, creating a business case for a “Camper Special” became paramount.
Ford was likely the first to see enough demand in the market, as they promoted the “Ford Truck Recreation Fleet” in their 1964 sales brochure. Dodge had a rendering of their truck with a camper that same year, and Chevy made a bigger deal about camping in literature from 1965. But Ford also made 1965 the year of the “Camper Special,” offering the enthusiast a single point of entry into the world of recreational vehicles.
It even came with a unique red emblem, one that replaced the more common “Twin I-Beam” plaque on the fender. Whether or not Ford’s Camper Specials from 1965 were truly unique is up for debate. That’s because continuous improvement was seen in yearly enhancements to the genre, as these originals cannot hold a candle to bespoke creations like the Chevrolet C30 Longhorn or the Ford Super Camper Special. The Super Camper Specials sported unique dimensions, deeper beds with a relocated spare tire, and custom bumpers that made camper installation a breeze.
Compared to their bright future in Mid-Century America, the first Camper Specials were likely more disposable than a normal truck in later decades. These are called “longboi” trucks by a newer generation of enthusiasts, as their eight-foot beds are disproportionately long, like a dachshund at a dog park. That stigma ensures they aren’t nearly as desirable to collectors as trucks with shorter wheelbases and “cooler” looking beds. If longbois weren’t scrapped after being used up back in the day, a clean example is likely to be hacked into a shorty truck by taking length out of the frame and plopping on a shorter bed for more curb appeal at car shows.
Functionality only takes you so far as a vehicle transitions from a late-model workhorse to a specialty classic, and rarity is the name of the game when it comes to camping-focused trucks from both Ford and Chevrolet. This example of the breed is from 1968 and is currently available on Hagerty Marketplace. It possesses camping DNA that lies somewhere between the original 1965 Camper Special and Ford’s Super Camper Specials of the 1970s.
By 1968, the garish emblem Ford used to highlight this specific configuration was gone. It was replaced by script lettering to the same effect, obscurely mounted behind the front axle. This particular Camper Special is the lighter-duty F-250 model, designed to carry 10.5-foot campers of the era with ease thanks to its flex-o-matic rear leaf springs.
The sales brochure for 1968 lists a secondary, remote-mounted 25-gallon fuel tank and bucket seats as options. The bench pictured here means that the second option wasn’t chosen for this Camper Special, but a closer look at the auction’s photography reveals a second gas cap mounted in the bed for that extra fuel cell. The factory AM radio is complemented by a vintage Kraco AM/FM/Cassette player, and Frigette Custom air conditioning was also installed after it rolled off the assembly line.
The number of Camper Special enhancements merited a specific chart in the 1968 sales brochure, and this particular F-250 Camper Special was ordered with the 360 cu-in FE V-8 rated at 215 horsepower. With fuel economy in mind, this was likely a smart choice relative to the thirsty 390 FE, or Ford’s trusty but undersized 300 “Big Six.” Goldilocks would be proud!
Ford’s new C6 automatic transmission was wisely chosen for easy cruising parking in small campgrounds, but this Camper Special boasts another trick up its sleeve: aftermarket exhaust headers with gorgeous individual runners, likely adding enough power over the restrictive manifolds to make towing an unaerodynamic camper feel more effortless. But the Camper Special’s days as an unrivaled recreational vehicle were numbered, thanks to the introduction of the Class “C” Motorhome.
The introduction of the Dodge B-Series van in 1971 changed the game for fans of the outdoors, as it came in a cut-away configuration by 1973. No longer was a living space aft of the B-pillar constricted by the sides of a bed, and space for the powertrain was minimized by the van configuration. Recreational vehicle companies saw the benefit immediately and shifted focus away from drop-in campers to craft RVs out of Chrysler’s campsite darling.
While Ford’s Econoline and Chevy’s G-Series van were players in this market, Chrysler’s aggressive pricing ensured the RV trade preferred it over the competition. (That changed after Chrysler’s bankruptcy, but perhaps that’s a tale for another time.) This was verified by our interview of a former employee of the El Dorado Motor Corporation, and it quickly reduced the need for a Camper Special pickup from the Detroit automakers.
That’s not to say the Camper Special didn’t survive well into the 1980s. Nor does it suggest that newer trucks are ill-equipped to carry a living space atop their broad shoulders. Ford even has a camping package for their modern trucks, but time has passed on the broader appeal of this genre of truck.
At least we still see these iconic “longbois” in dealership inventory storage lots, but it’s a little harder to spot them. Perhaps affixing an emblem like Camper Special back to their bodysides would help the longboi go farther with enthusiasts?
Never heard the term “longboi” before… we call them short box and long box around here.
The link to the Super Camper Special article is on point, to me these are the real camper specials because they have a funky wheelbase that prevents you putting a standard box on it.
My father owns two of the Ford versions, one that still has the unique box (the other has been a flat-deck welding truck for 20+ years).
I have a long horn Chev that hasn’t had it’s box since the early 80s. It’s a project that I waver on really digging into due to the condition. Maybe someday.
Agreed – that “longboi” is new to me.
How many koi fit in a longboi?
I remember these things being quite popular as a kid in the late 70’s / early 80’s. They kind of rusted away in Chicagoland and I guess not replaced.
My grandfather’s ’68 came with a T18 instead of the C6. He special ordered it with dual gas tanks, dual batteries and vinyl floor mats. He took that truck on desert two tracks that should have been only for 4x4s. RIP
Your grandfather’s adventures sound a lot like my early ones in the ’70s and ’80s. I had a C20 Chevy 2WD with good tires and manual transmission, I even had an open differential and still went places that many consider 4WD areas. I had to be creative at times but that’s part of the adventure!
I’ve appraised a couple Camper Specials from the late 80’s and still see the occasional one on the streets or on roadtrips. Those I’ve encountered have usually been in the family for a long time and while not always in very good condition they are enjoyed in one way or another.
I have a Ford 1969 camper special class C its a unicorn I cant find anything like it they call it the “little caboose” the above cab bed is a full/queen then it has another twin bunk on top of that i guess hence the name caboose. Im not handy but im going to work to get her going for my family to enjoy for years to come. She has a 390 50k miles I am really blessed to have found her! Great article cheers from the Northwoods!
Great looking truck and I too am of an age to remember the Camper Special – and with Ford you could get the Ranger package with your camper special and it was a sharp truck! this one is quite special and still has a lot of camper duty remaining in its life!
Anyone interested should check out the no reserve auction, it is presently a great buy at only $4600!
I believe it closed at over $9k. I just restored a ’71 and it looks brand new.
I would guess that they rode rather rough when the camper was not installed.
I have never understood why people would prefer the short-bed pickup, unless they simply could not fit the long-bed into their garage. They don’t look “cooler” to me; the cab is too big for the bed, so the proportions are wrong. That is even more true for the four-door “highway department” pickups so popular today, which often have even shorter beds.
I agree with the short bed trucks of today. Of course, most of these aren’t used for trucks anyways. They’re just pretty boy vehicles.
I purchased a 1966 F-250 Camper Special about 15 years ago and was intending to restore it. It had a 352 FE big block and a 4 speed manual transmission with a granny gear. I had it parked on PCH in Malibu where I was living at the time. I had just fallen asleep when I heard a loud boom and I knew it wasn’t good. I went outside to find a new Grand Cherokee SRT 8 flipped on its roof in the middle of PCH. I thought for certain the driver was dead and I asked onlookers if anyone knew the driver. The driver raised his hand and to my amazement was completely unscathed. This guy was obviously under the influence of something and had been reported as driving erratically from about 15 miles from the crash site. My truck was not unscathed. As a matter of fact it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The driver used my truck bed as a launch ramp and was going so fast and hit my truck so hard that it smashed into another car parked in front which then smashed into a second car parked in front of the first. Given the weight of a F-250, that’s saying something. For reference, the speed limit on PCH is 45 mph on that stretch. It turns out this guy was the son of a very wealthy developer/NBA team owner and had a get out of jail free card. Sadly, he overdosed about 6 months later and passed away. Since I had purchased so many parts to restore this Camper Special, including shiny, new red badges (which I still have), I purchased a 1966 F-100 long bed and have since restored it although it’s not a Camper Special. Love these trucks! Thanks for publishing this article. It reminds me of being a kid and going camping with my dad in the early ‘70’s who had a Chevy truck with a camper. Good times and memories.
I have a similar story with my 1978 Camper Special. Mine was parked in front of our house, minding its own business, when a guy driving a Delta 88 smacked into it (he had fallen asleep behind the wheel)! Not sure how fast he was going, but he hit my truck hard enough to but the front wheel up onto the parkway and the rear wheel was resting 1′ behind the mark on the curb from the front tire. I was lucky enough to be able to replace the bed and the back fender and repair a small dent where the bed hit the cab, as that was the only damage done. The Delta was totalled…
I still have that truck 😁
The 1973 Dodge Power Wagon “Camper Special” was another version of trucks built with slide in campers in mind. Still a cheap available truck that’s fun.
The true pickup truck for the common man was 1963-1972, many model choices and the F250 4×4 was a construction companies best friend.
I’m astonished at the idea that an 8′ bed is abnormal. I grew up thinking an 8′ box the norm on a full sized truck and a 6′ box was short. This means the 5.5′ bed on 1/2 ton crew cabs is comical to me. Then again I remember when 9′ step side beds were a factory option and my 1/2 ton rocks a full 8′ box
I remember when I used to see 8′ beds on the road on a regular basis…I haven’t seen one in months and I live in the truck capital of the universe. (Texas)
The best looking “new” trucks on the road today are single cab , long bed , 4WD…. Just exactly like my 76 F150 is ! We need to get back to that look!
68 Dodge D-200 Camper Special… great truck
My ’77 Camper Special is a SuperCab with 8′ bed, 460 CID engine and C6 auto trans. The wheelbase (155″) is much bigger than my ’76 F-150 long bed (133″). The suspension, understandably, is extra beefy all around. Everything looks more robust than my ’76 F-150. Apparently a PO ditched the on-board camper replacing it with a 5th wheel setup. It does not have dual rear wheels as many 5th wheel pullers do.
I owned a 2005 F150 crew cab with a 5.5 foot bed. Good truck, the 5.4 was capable, somewhat comfortable for the family, but useless for hauling. As soon as the last daughter left home, the search was on for a half ton longbed. Every now and then I see a regular cab 8′ bed but usually work trucks. I miss those days when trucks were used as intended.
I’ve got a 1967 Alaskan Camper that would look great on that truck. It’s currently sitting on a 1968 IH 4×4 farm truck. I’m selling them both for $10k or the camper for $2,500. More info at trailbid.com